Statement Regarding Horse Racing Injuries

Published on 8 November 2023

“We’re very concerned about the injured horses yesterday.

Our thoughts are with the people caring for these horses and the veterinarians, and we hope for the best outcome.

We obviously expect the industry to make sure there’s a thorough investigation into what led up to this and what could be done to prevent it happening in future.

It does highlight that injuries are a real risk in horse racing.

The most common injuries that you’re going to see are musculoskeletal, but you can also get heart failure as well as exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhages, which is where the horses bleed from the lungs.

These injuries can all lead to fatal consequences, and it really highlights the risk associated with racing, why more needs to be done to prevent them, and the requirement for adequate reporting so that we understand what’s going on and where effort needs to be made to reduce them.”

RSPCA Australia’s policy for Horse Racing can be found here.

Other related content
Sunraysia canine parvovirus threat

RSPCA Victoria is urging Sunraysia dog owners to urgently vaccinate their dogs a...

Read more
RSPCA Victoria releases jumps racing audit

RSPCA Victoria has released an audit of the publicly available jumps racing data...

Read more
One day, double the impact for animals in need

RSPCA Victoria’s annual ‘Give to Get Them Home’ fundraiser is on again thi...

Read more
RSPCA adoption blitz!

RSPCA Victoria is launching a 48-hour “Clear the Shelter” adoption blitz on ...

Read more

Not a registered foster carer yet?

Find out how to start fostering here

Learn more